Still Life
by Girl in a White Dress
Summary: Follows A Voice in Ramah. "I swear I left her by the river, I swear I left her safe and sound . . ." HC. [COMPLETE]
1. one

Disclaimer: Not my characters. I wish the Bruck would learn to share.  
A/N 1: Seventh in my series. The other stories are Kryptonite, But She Breaks, Bulletproof, Twilight Time, Because The Night and A Voice in Ramah. They don't need to be read for this one to make sense, but it would help.  
The lyrics in the summary are from Richard Marx's "Hazard".  
A/N 2: Yeah, I know a still life is technically a painting of fruit and not people, but my muse was pretty adamant about what she wanted for a title ::grin::  
Nath, as always, thank you for being my beta, but even more, for being my friend.

* * *

They paint you a picture of perfect nowhere blue skies  
Within every lie there's a web of comfort  
For them  
Not me  
To win this twisted war inside me  
Won't justify the pain  
They paint you a picture of perfect nowhere

Anastacia, "Where Do I Belong?"

* * *

It started as friendly teasing between Speed, Delko and Bernstein. One of the other homicide cops overheard and couldn't resist adding his two cents'. Adele laughingly suggested that the men prove their worth, Calleigh seconded the idea, and so on Sunday an assortment of CSIs and cops found themselves at a basketball court.

While they practiced shooting hoops, Speed turned to Delko and muttered, "This is all your fault, you know."

Delko laughed. "Not really. Besides, now you get to show off to Ada."

Speed glanced over at the bleachers. His girlfriend, Ada Rose, sat at the top, her sketchbook open on her lap. She was an artist he'd met a few weeks earlier when he'd interpreted for her. Watching her now, he silently thanked his mother for insisting that he learn sign language as a child.

"Hey, Speed. Focus."

Speed reluctantly turned his attention back to his teammate. "Where's Gen today?"

"At a rehearsal." Delko's tone suggested there was more to it than that, but Speed left it alone. Delko hadn't spoken about his girlfriend all week, which told Speed that there was trouble in paradise. He hoped Delko managed to work things out; Genevieve was good for him.

Speed glanced over at the rest of the CSI team. Calleigh had actually managed to talk Horatio into playing, much to Speed's surprise. Then there was Tyler from DNA, who Delko suspected had never played sport in his life, and Aaron, the other ballistics expert.

The opposing team was made up of Bernstein (whose comment that "White men can't jump" had really instigated the game), Hagen, Bryce from Narc and Kellerman and Hooper from Juvie.

Calleigh and Alexx sat on the bottom row of the bleachers. When Hagen asked for a drink from the cooler they were guarding, they joked that they weren't about to start supporting the enemy.

Adele was moving around, chatting to a few of the people who had come to support, and taking their bets on who they thought would win. The odds were in favor of the CSIs, thanks largely to Horatio and Delko's height.

Horatio pulled Calleigh aside, ostensibly for a good luck kiss. "Time to get out your cheerleading outfit," he murmured, low enough so only she heard.

"Never in my life, Horatio Caine!"

He let his eyes travel the length of her body, then gave a mischievous smirk. "Hmm, I don't really picture you as the cheerleader type in high school."

Calleigh laughed. "My mama would have had my hide!"

His lips brushed her cheek. "It's a pity. You've got great legs."

She batted her eyelashes at him and thickened her accent. "Is the captain of the basketball team hitting on little ol' me?"

"Hey, H! Let's start!" Delko waved from across the court.

Calleigh went up on her toes to kiss her husband. "If you win the game, maybe you'll get lucky tonight." She winked, then went to rejoin Alexx.

"I'll hold you to that!"

Ten minutes into the game, there was still no score when Yelina arrived with Ray, Jr. and Madison. Not entirely comfortable with all the people, Madison climbed up to the top of the bleachers. When Ada didn't look at her, she scooted closer and tried to peek at the sketchbook. Ada smiled, then tore a page from the back and handed Madison a pencil.

Calleigh followed Yelina's gaze. "How is she doing?"

Yelina shrugged. "She's been very quiet the past few days. I only stopped by so Ray could see what was happening. I'm taking her to the hospital afterwards."

"Horatio and I can drop Ray at home after the game if that makes your life easier."

"Thanks. Ray doesn't like hospitals."

"That makes two of us." Calleigh smiled as Adele joined them.

"So, who's your money on?" Adele asked Yelina.

Alexx leaned in and whispered conspiratorially, "I think she should be exempt from laying odds. Her loyalties are divided. Job versus family."

Calleigh looked out at the court. Hagen's focus was momentarily on Yelina, which allowed Delko to slip past him and shoot. Calleigh and Alexx jumped to their feet to applaud and the men exchanged high-fives.

"If this isn't a display of testosterone, I don't know what is," Alexx said.

When everything had settled down again, Calleigh turned back to Yelina. "Horatio says you've been trying to locate Suzie's family."

Yelina nodded. "Yes. The doctors say there's no chance of Suzie waking up but I don't want to be the one who has to decide about life support . . . she's still Maddie's mother."

There was a ruckus from the court, distracting the women. Hooper had fallen and sat clutching his knee. Alexx picked up the first aid kit and strode onto the court, shaking her head. As she wrapped the graze with a bandage, she couldn't resist commenting on the weakness of the cop team. There was a chorus of denials from said team, while the CSIs just laughed.

"I'm glad you're on our side," Speed said.

Yelina and Madison left shortly before half time. Calleigh climbed to the top of the bleachers, sat next to Ada and gently touched her arm.

_You want to draw too?_ Ada wrote, her eyes twinkling.

Calleigh shook her head. "Nope, just wanted a chance to interrogate you about Tim."

Ada smiled. _Ah._

"He seems pretty serious about you."

Ada shrugged. _He's a serious guy._

"Yeah. You make him happy, though. You're good for him." Calleigh looked at the court, then back at Ada so she could read her lips. "Tim's a very private guy. He doesn't talk about . . . well, anything not work-related, really!"

Ada laughed, and the sound surprised Calleigh. Ada saw her look of confusion and smiled. _I'm not mute. I just know that sometimes it makes people uncomfortable when I speak._

"Sorry, I assumed . . . because I'd never heard you speak . . ."

_It's okay._

"Okay."

_Tim's looking at us._

"Probably wondering what embarrassing stories I'm telling you."

Ada's eyes glinted mischievously. _You know his embarrassing stories? Do tell._

Calleigh laughed. "Later. It's half time now. Let's go see how the men are coping."

* * *

That evening, Horatio lay soaking in the bath. Calleigh sat on the edge of the tub, trailing her fingers in the water.

"We should do things like this more often," she said. "It's good to see everyone relaxed."

"Yes, everyone who wasn't on the court."

Calleigh chuckled. "Stop complaining. You know you had a good time."

"I did. I may not be able to move for a few days, but I enjoyed myself. I noticed you and Ada hitting it off."

"She's nice. I like her. I never really got a chance to talk to her at the wedding."

"I'm sure Tim was just craving your approval." Horatio laughed, grabbing her wrist. Calleigh recognized the look in his eye but before she could move away, he pulled her into the tub, clothes and all. "I seem to recall a promise about getting lucky tonight."

"Horatio!" She splashed him, then managed to sit upright. "I thought you were too sore for any more physical activities."

"Oh, I'm sure this will be worth any additional, uh, stiffness."

Calleigh grinned. "Well, you are the boss."

"I'm going to remember you said that."

Calleigh pulled his head closer. "Shut up and kiss me already."


	2. two

Horatio woke up to an empty bed. Neither he nor Calleigh were late sleepers but it was very early for her to be up. Calleigh's side was still warm. He smiled, slipped out of bed and followed the sound of her singing to the kitchen. Her back was to him and he leaned against the doorframe, just looking at her. She wore nothing but one of his shirts and her fluffy pink slippers. He admired her bare legs for a moment before going up behind her and sliding his hands around her waist.

"Good morning, beautiful."

"You know, the point of breakfast in bed is for you to be in bed."

"I was missing you too much."

She chuckled. "I've been in here for five minutes!"

"Five minutes too long." He nuzzled her neck. "Come back to bed. We don't have to be at work for another hour."

She continued making the coffee, deliberately bumping against him. "I'm too wide awake to go back to sleep."

He slipped a hand under her shirt. "Who said anything about sleeping?"

Calleigh turned to face him and held out his mug. "Why, Lieutenant Caine, if you're not careful, I'll tell my mother on you."

"Your mother's in Darnell." He set the mug on the counter and lowered his mouth to hers. "And she likes me."

"My daddy, then."

"Your daddy likes me too."

Calleigh laughed. "You've got an answer for everything, don't you?"

Horatio took her wrists and pulled her back to the bedroom. "We have to be quiet. My wife's around here somewhere."

"I don't know if this is such a good idea then. I've heard she's a jealous woman."

Horatio shook his head, then picked Calleigh up and carried her the rest of the way. Laughing, he said, "I'll take the blame."

* * *

Speed wiped the beads of sweat from his brow as he walked up the flight of stairs to his apartment. It was strange, he thought with a smile, how quickly it had gone from being just a place to live to a home. Ada was responsible for that.

He grinned. She was responsible for most of what was good in his life right now. He'd never thought that interpreting for her would be the best thing that had ever happened to him. He had his mother to thank for that; it was at her urging that he'd learned sign language. Like most rebellious teenagers, he'd balked at the idea, but eventually his mother had her way and now he was as fluent in sign language as if he'd been speaking it all his life.

He should call his mother, he thought. Or he could surprise her by visiting for her birthday next month. Maybe Ada would be willing to go with him. By the time he reached his floor, he knew he couldn't wait for her to meet his mother.

Just that morning, Ada had teased him about it. She'd waited for him to finish tying his running shoes before she signed, _"It's because you're embarrassed to take me home."_

"No, I'm not. How can you say that?"

She shrugged. _"Because it's true. I know you only want me for my body—"_

He pushed her down onto the bed, tickling her. It still blew his mind that she couldn't hear her own laughter. "Well, you got me there, babe."

_"That's okay. You don't think I'm with you for your mind, do you?"_

He smiled in memory of the conversation. Yes, he thought, time for his mother to meet Ada. He was certain they'd hit it off. He had a feeling that Ada might even be the first girl his mother approved of.

He pulled his shorts off as he entered the apartment. He'd been so busy daydreaming that his jog had taken longer than usual. He would have to shower quickly if he was going to get to work on time.

There was a note from Ada taped to the bathroom mirror. _Gone to meeting at gallery. See you tonight. Love you, Ada. P.S. Pop Tarts don't count as breakfast! There are muffins in the kitchen. A._

Speed smiled. Maybe it was time to think about making this permanent.

* * *

"Babe, I have to go to work." Delko stood at the foot of the bed. The figure under the covers moved, then Genevieve's head appeared. Her hair was tousled and her eyes were bleary from lack of sleep.

"So go."

"I just . . . Are we okay?"

"We're fine." She disappeared again, pulling the covers up over her head.

Delko wished that were true. He'd hardly seen Genevieve at all last week; she'd got a part in a physical theater piece and had been rehearsing almost all day, every day. Delko wasn't sure exactly what physical theater was – he figured it was some kind of dancing – but he was happy for her. He'd thought this meant her nights would be free, but when she wasn't rehearsing, she was sleeping.

He realized that he couldn't remember the last time they'd actually had a proper conversation. The physical side of their relationship was still great, but they didn't talk anymore.

Delko didn't want to lose her.

"Okay. I'll see you later. Maybe we can go out for dinner."

Genevieve mumbled something incoherent. Delko held back his sigh and left.

* * *

Will held her down. Her eyes were wide with fright as she gasped desperately for air but found only water. She tried to fight him, but he was bigger and stronger.

It was over quickly. She stopped struggling, growing limp in his arms. A few final bubbles escaped her lungs.

Will stepped out of the pond and studied his handiwork. He closed his eyes and compared it to the picture in his mind.

Almost perfect.

He brushed a strand of blonde hair away from her face and turned her hands so the palms were facing up. He carefully placed a lily in her right hand and closed the fingers around it.

There. Perfect.

Ophelia was ready to be seen.

* * *

An anonymous caller dialed 911 shortly before noon. The location came as a surprise; murders rarely happened in cemeteries. Alexx and Adele were already there when Horatio and Calleigh arrived. Alexx stood as they made their way through the headstones to the memorial garden. When Calleigh saw the tears in Alexx's eyes, she knew this was really bad.

Looking past Alexx at the body in the pond, it wasn't clear what had upset the ME. When Calleigh got closer, it hit her. The woman's unseeing blue eyes were raised to the sky. Her hair floated in long blonde strands, a halo of death. Just yesterday, Calleigh had laughed with her.

She looked back at Horatio. "Oh, my God."

He stared at the body for a long time, his expression unreadable. Then he reached into his pocket, pulled out his cell phone and dialed. His voice was tinged with pain as he said, "Eric, I have some bad news."

Calleigh didn't want to eavesdrop on the conversation. She set her field kit down and mechanically started to process the scene. She tried to distance herself in the hope that it would hurt less, and could see that Alexx was doing the same. Neither of the women felt like talking and worked in silence until Alexx burst out with, "This is going to kill him."

Calleigh nodded. She raised her camera to take another photograph, and felt Horatio's arms encircle her from behind.

"You okay?" he asked.

"Not really. You?"

He shook his head, then released her. "Eric's with Tim now. He said he'd tell him."

They were quiet as they documented the evidence, took photos and walked the scene. If the dead woman were anyone else, they'd be talking to each other and sharing opinions. This case was different. This was personal.

Alexx had just zipped up the body bag when Speed arrived.

"Where is she?"

Horatio intercepted him before he reached the stretcher. "Tim."

"Where is she? I want to see her! I have to—"

"Tim."

"Please."

Horatio stepped aside. Speed approached the stretcher and slowly pulled the zipper down. He reached out to touch Ada, then stopped mid-gesture. Calleigh couldn't watch; she felt like she was intruding on something very personal.

"I'm so sorry," Horatio said.

"I didn't even know she was missing." Speed's voice was expressionless. "I thought she was at the gallery. She was supposed to be at the gallery. She was going to have a show."

"Go home, Tim."

Speed shook his head. "I want this case."

"Tim—"

"I have to help. I have to solve this."

Horatio gently drew him away from the body. "You're barely functioning. Go home. Get some rest."

Speed nodded but it was clear his mind was elsewhere. "Her parents. I should tell her parents."

He looked at the body again. Alexx came up to him and touched his arm. "I'll take care of her, Timmy."

"Yeah . . ."

Horatio motioned for an officer to approach. "Please could you make sure Detective Speedle gets home?"

When Speed left, looking as if he were in a trance, Horatio hugged Calleigh again. He brushed her hair away from her face, kissed her forehead, then pulled away. "Come on. We've got work to do."


	3. three

A/N: I'm so, so sorry for the delay in posting this chapter. I hate my computer. My computer hates me. See the problem? Fortunately we've reached a compromise: as long it allows me to post, I won't hack it to pieces with an axe. Anyway, I hope you enjoy the story. Mel

* * *

Speed sat staring into space in Horatio's office, an untouched cup of coffee in front of him.

"Ada never arrived at the gallery," Horatio said. "No one saw her leave your apartment building. So far, you're the last person to see her alive."

Speed looked up sharply. "I didn't—"

"I know. This is just procedure, you know that. Walk me through what happened this morning."

"Sure. Uh . . ."

Speed was unfocused, remembering a moment just before he'd left for his jog. In bed, he'd traced 'I love you' over and over on Ada's bare shoulder. She'd signed the words back and kissed him. Then, laughing, she'd pushed him away and said she was going to be late.

"She was so excited about the show. It was her first."

"Tim, did you see her leave?"

He shook his head. "I went for a jog. She kissed me goodbye and went to shower. I shouldn't have left her."

Horatio was silent. Nothing he could say would help.

Speed met Horatio's eyes. "I don't know what to do."

"Tim—"

He stood, suddenly agitated. "I've got to get out of here."

Horatio watched him leave, then sat down. Just when he thought the day couldn't get any worse, Yelina called. He could hear the tears in her voice when she said, "We've had no luck tracking down Suzie's next of kin."

Horatio sighed. In the week since they'd found Suzie dying at a crime scene, Horatio's world had been turned upside down. He'd discovered Madison was his niece and the man she called "Daddy" had killed Raymond. After so long, that case was finally closed. But it still wouldn't be completely over until Chaz was back in prison.

Horatio had always known his sister-in-law's strength of character, but lately he had begun to appreciate her even more. How many people, he wondered, would welcome their husband's illegitimate daughter into their home and do their utmost to help that child's mother?

"So what happens now?" he asked.

"The doctors say there's no hope. They're going to turn the machines off. I . . . I don't know how to tell Madison. She's been so brave and I can't . . . She's been so quiet the last few days. I think she knows."

Horatio wouldn't be surprised if she did. Madison was a smart little girl.

He didn't know what to say to Yelina. He didn't know how to make this better. If there was anything that Horatio Caine hated, it was feeling useless, and he never felt more useless than when people he cared about were hurting.

* * *

"I promise we'll find out who did this, sugar." Alexx's gloved hand rested on Ada's cold forehead. "And don't worry about Tim. We'll take care of him for you." 

She picked up Ada's hand. Just yesterday, Ada had sat beside her and sketched. Now she would never draw again.

Alexx covered the body then stripped off her gloves. Dealing with death every day could make you feel immune, she thought. Then it touched you when you least expected it, and in the worst possible way.

"Hey, Alexx." Calleigh lurked in the doorway, reluctant to enter. "I got your page. Horatio would have come but he's talking to Tim . . ."

Alexx gave a wan smile. "I've got the preliminary results for you."

Calleigh came closer, her gaze straying to the examination table. "Okay."

Struggling to stay professional, Alexx picked up her clipboard. "She was definitely drowned. I found water in her lungs."

"It matches the pond water." Calleigh held up the results from Trace.

"What about the substance I found in her nose and mouth?"

"Chloroform."

"Her shoulders are bruised. My guess is that she woke up when he put her in the water." Alexx paused to gather her thoughts. "There was no sign of sexual assault."

Calleigh nodded. "Good. That's one less thing . . . " She exhaled on a sigh.

"Are you okay?"

"Yeah. No. I don't know. We saw her yesterday, Alexx. This isn't right."

"It's never right."

* * *

Speed sat on his bike, staring at his apartment building. He couldn't go home – not that it was home anymore. How could it be, when Ada wasn't there? 

He'd lost count of how many crimes he had investigated over the years. This was different. Things wouldn't go back to normal when it was solved. Ada was dead. Things would never be normal again.

Maybe he would wake up and this would all be a dream. Yes, he thought. He was just dreaming. There was no way Ada could possibly be dead.

Except he couldn't convince himself of that. Not when he'd seen her in that body bag, her beautiful hair wet and matted with leaves. Not when he'd seen the tears in Calleigh's eyes and heard the sorrow in Horatio's voice. Not when Alexx had promised to take care of Ada.

She was dead and no amount of pretending could bring her back.

Grief was no stranger to Speed. He was all too familiar with its dark embrace, its cold depths. He'd almost lost himself once before; he didn't know if he could walk this path again.

Delko was suddenly next to him. "Hey."

Speed nodded.

"Let's go do something. We can get drunk or something. Whatever you want."

He wanted Ada.

"Speed? Talk to me, man."

He found his voice. "You've got evidence to process."

"Tim—"

"I, uh, I can't. I need to be alone right now." He climbed off the bike and went inside. Somehow, this was all his fault. If he hadn't gone jogging this morning, if he'd persuaded Ada to join him, if . . .

"No way." Delko was behind him. "I'm not going anywhere."

Speed turned around and slugged his friend. Then, realizing what he'd done, he froze.

Delko was holding his nose. "Is that all you've got?"

Not sure where the anger came from, Speed lashed out again. This time Delko was prepared and managed to block the rest of his blows.

Alerted by the noise, an old woman stuck her head out her door. "I'm going to call the police!"

Completely drained, Speed leaned against the wall. "I'm sorry."

The woman's head disappeared. Delko helped Speed back to his apartment. Once inside, Speed collapsed on the couch while Delko fetched ice for his nose.

"Bet Gen's going to love that," Speed said.

"I'll tell her it's your fault."

"Is it broken?"

"Nah. At least, I hope not."

Speed was silent for a while. Then he asked, "How is Gen? I haven't seen her in a while."

"She's busy with rehearsals."

Speed nodded. "Ada liked her. She told me Gen was good for you."

"And Gen thought Ada was good for you."

"Yeah." His smile was sad. "She was the one. I was going to marry her. You think she knew?"

"She knew."

"I don't know what I'm supposed to do now. I keep thinking this is all a bad dream, you know. Like, any minute she's going to walk through the door and ask how my day was." Speed's face twisted and he reached up to wipe away his tears. "Shit."

"We're going to solve this, Tim. We'll find the guy. He's not going to get away with it."


	4. four

Madison knew exactly what today meant. Her mother was dead, just like her father. She had no one in the world now, except maybe Yelina. After that scary night when the horrible man had shot everyone, Yelina had looked after her. She liked Yelina, and Ray as well, even if he was a boy.

She'd heard Yelina on the phone, talking about a memorial service. Yelina was dressed all in black and Ray was in a suit. Madison didn't want to go. She wanted to stay in her pajamas and watch Spongebob Squarepants. Nobody died on Spongebob.

Madison was quiet when Yelina helped her get ready. She had a new blue dress and shiny black shoes. Yelina brushed Madison's hair and put a ribbon in, then hugged her. Madison wanted to tell her it was okay, but she couldn't speak past the lump in her throat.

When her mother had pushed her under the bed to hide her, she'd told her she was a brave girl. Madison wasn't about to let her mother down; she would keep being brave so when her mother looked down from heaven, she would be proud.

Yelina had said her mother was like Sleeping Beauty, but she was wrong.

She had told Madison to draw a picture for her mom. Madison had borrowed Ray's crayons and drew the Emerald City. Her mother had been reading 'The Wizard of Oz' to Madison; she wondered if Yelina would finish it for her. Madison remembered how pretty the Emerald City sounded and she decided that was what heaven looked like.

Madison had never been inside a church before and she stayed close to Yelina's side. There was a man with glasses standing at the front. While he spoke, Madison climbed onto Yelina's lap and looked around. Uncle John smiled at her and she ducked her head shyly.

Horatio was there with Calleigh. Madison smiled; she liked Horatio. Calleigh too, except Calleigh had the same color hair as her mother . . .

Madison suddenly missed her mother with an almost frightening intensity. She hid her face in Yelina's neck and sobbed. When she thought about how she was letting her mother down by not being brave, it made her cry harder.

It was the first time she'd cried since Yelina had told her that her mother was in heaven. "Yelina, when can we go home?"

"Soon, sweetheart. Soon."

* * *

After the service, Horatio made Yelina promise to call him if she needed anything.

"I will." She looked tired.

"Hey, Maddie. Can I steal a kiss?"

The child nodded but she didn't smile. Her tearstained face broke Horatio's heart. He kissed her forehead then stepped back.

Calleigh slipped her hand in his. "Hey."

"Hey."

They walked to the car in silence. Horatio opened the door for her. Before she could get in, he pulled her into a hug. "Thank you for coming with me."

"They're my family too."

"Yes, they are." He released her, then closed the door after she climbed in. He walked around to his side and sat in his seat without starting the car.

"I spoke to Tim earlier. He said the gallery's going ahead with Ada's exhibition."

Horatio nodded; that was the curse of the artist. You could only be famous once you were dead.

"I'm worried about Tim," Calleigh continued. "He sounded so flat when I spoke to him. You know, as if he just didn't care anymore."

"He's hurting."

"I know. It's just, I'm worried he's going to do something stupid. He's home alone and he's letting this eat at him." Calleigh shrugged. "Maybe I'm just being paranoid, but I know he's depressed and I've seen what depression does to people."

Horatio reached across and took her hand, surprised to find it ice cold. He rubbed his thumb over her wrist. "You're right to be concerned. I'll talk to him, see if I can convince him to speak to someone about it."

Calleigh smiled. "Thank you."

* * *

Two funerals in two days.

There was something very wrong with that, Calleigh thought. Seven people, including the priest, had met to mourn Suzie Barnham yesterday. Today, there were close on a hundred to grieve Ada Rose. Neither of them should have died.

Calleigh'd had no idea just how popular Ada was in the art world. All the artists who exhibited at the gallery were there, as well as some of her friends from college. It was easy to tell them apart from the crowd though they were all in black, their creative spirits muted out of respect for the dead.

The CSIs all sat together, three rows behind Ada's family and Speed. Just before the service started, Genevieve arrived and sat next to Delko. He put his arm around her and pulled her close. Calleigh saw her mouth, "I'm sorry," and wondered just what was going on with them these days.

She sat close to Horatio as the priest spoke, hardly hearing what was said. Her attention was on Speed. He looked so out of it that Calleigh couldn't help but wonder if he'd taken something. It was obvious that Ada's parents were sedated; they were unnaturally calm.

Mrs. Rose stood to speak. Her hands trembled as she unfolded a piece of paper and read the words that no mother should ever have to speak. Calleigh clutched Horatio's hand tightly in hers. When Mrs. Rose almost collapsed on the way back to her seat, Speed and Mr. Rose jumped up to help her, and Calleigh cried.

Ada's brother, Kyle, spoke next. He seemed to still be in shock, and there was more anger in his voice than sorrow. His sister was gone before her time, he said. The killer had to be found or Ada's soul could never find peace. The eulogy was directed at the CSIs and when Calleigh looked at Horatio, she saw how tense he was.

Vanessa Craig was an artist friend. She spoke about what a great person Ada was, what a loss she would be to the art world, and how much she would be missed.

Calleigh couldn't look at Speed when he stood to speak. "Ada hated being treated as different," he said. "But she was. I've never met anyone with a greater capability for love than Ada. We weren't together all that long but I am a better person for having known her. I will love her . . . always."

Afterwards, Calleigh sought him out. Instead of saying anything, she hugged him.

"Thanks, Cal. Could you thank the team for coming? It – It means a lot. She liked you guys."

She nodded. "If you need anything, call us, okay?"

"Sure."

She watched him walk over to Mrs. Rose, her heart breaking for them all over again. The man she'd just spoken to her was just a shadow of her friend. It would be a long time before he was okay again.

* * *

Will watched the woman walk to her car, carrying her shopping bags. He waited for her to pack them in the trunk before he approached. He gave a disarming smile, holding his hands palms up, everything about him as non-threatening as possible.

"Hi."

She turned, studying him suspiciously. "Hi."

He acted embarrassed. "I was hoping you could help me out. My battery's dead and my boss is going to fire me if I'm late for work one more time this week."

She relaxed. She had a beautiful smile, he thought.

"I'm sorry. I don't have any jumper cables."

"I've got a pair. I know it's a bother, but . . ."

"It's no bother. Where are you parked?"

He pointed to the opposite end of the parking lot. "I've been walking around for twenty minutes trying to find someone to help me."

She unlocked the passenger door. "I might as well give you a lift back to your car."

He climbed in and turned to face her, reaching into his pocket for the chloroformed handkerchief. She would be a perfect Juliet. So beautiful, so innocent.

He couldn't wait to show her to the world.


	5. five

The crime scene had an almost surreal feel to it, Calleigh thought. The victim, a pretty blonde, was wearing an Elizabethan-style dress. She lay on the front steps of City Hall, a bloody gash in her side, her fingers curled around a dagger. The location had ensured a large crowd of onlookers, and numerous members of the press.

Alexx looked up from her position alongside the victim. "Liver temp places time of death at around midnight."

"Was she killed here?"

Alexx lifted the body then shook her head. "No, there's not enough blood."

Horatio turned to study the crowd. "So he staged this. He wanted an audience. Calleigh, can you get pictures of the crowd? Maybe he stuck around to watch."

Calleigh nodded. Raising her camera, she began snapping the crowd, zooming in for better detail. It was one thing to work a crime scene, she thought, but it was something else entirely to watch other people do it. She couldn't help but wonder why they did. Reporters, she understood. They were looking for a story. But spectators – it was a mindset she just didn't get.

* * *

Yelina was worried about Madison. The child had no appetite and simply played with her food at mealtimes. The sparkle was gone from her eyes and she rarely spoke. Just last night, Yelina had woken to find Madison in bed with her. Not even sleep could chase away the shadows, and Madison had jerked awake screaming that the horrible man was going to kill her. Yelina had held her tight and promised that nothing was going to happen. She was awake long after Madison finally went back to sleep, trying to figure out how she could help the little girl.

She knew it was grief. Ray had struggled with nightmares when his father had died, but he'd eventually gotten over them. Nightmares, Yelina could handle. What worried her was that Madison had only started having them after Suzie's death when she'd lost her father a week before. It was as if the child had waited for her mother to die so she could grieve her parents together.

Yelina dragged her thoughts back to the present and quickened her pace. She didn't want to be late for her meeting with Madison's social worker.

Bella Johansen smiled when Yelina entered her office. She opened her top drawer, pulled out a file and opened it on the desk. "I've found a foster home for Madison—"

Something twisted in Yelina's gut. "Uh, actually, I was hoping she could stay with me."

Bella shook her head sympathetically. "I know it's easy to get attached, but in the long run it's better if you let her go now. She can't stay with you forever."

"I'm not concerned about me. I'm concerned about her. She's not doing well."

"Detective Salas, Yelina, we're looking for family."

Yelina covered her eyes with her hand and took a deep breath. "We are family."

Bella frowned. "Excuse me?"

"Raymond, my husband, had an affair with Suzie Barnham. Madison is Raymond's child. My son is her half-brother."

Bella leaned back in her chair and twirled a pencil through her fingers. She studied Yelina thoughtfully. "Okay, that changes things. Are you sure?"

"Yes. Horatio did the test."

"Okay." Bella nodded. "I'm going to need a copy of those results."

"Sure."

"Yelina, are you saying you want to adopt Madison?"

"I – I don't know. I don't know what I'm supposed to do."

Bella made a few notes in the file. "Talk to Horatio, see what he thinks. I'll let Madison stay with you in the meantime."

"Thank you."

* * *

Calleigh studied the autopsy report on the City Hall Jane Doe. There were traces of chloroform found in her mouth and nasal cavities. Cause of death was exsanguination as a result of the knife wound. Alexx had taken fingernail scrapings and Calleigh was waiting to see if there was a match on CODIS.

She turned her attention to the crime scene photographs. It had definitely been staged; the killer had wanted the victim found. The clothes probably didn't belong to the dead girl; obviously Calleigh wouldn't know for sure until they had an ID, but she doubted many people walked around Miami in Elizabethan dresses. The girl had been barefoot as well.

Calleigh picked up the knife. On closer inspection, she thought it seemed to be an ornamental dagger. It looked antique and Calleigh smiled; if it was rare, it shouldn't be too hard to trace.

* * *

Speed stood outside _Mia's_, reluctant to enter. He'd been to the gallery a few times before, but Ada had always been with him. The only reason he found himself there now was because Mia, the gallery owner, had called and invited him to preview Ada's show.

He couldn't do it.

As he turned to leave, the door opened and Mia called out, "Hey, thought you weren't going to make it."

Speed exhaled; he was caught. He turned to face Mia. "I don't think this is a good idea."

Mia pursed her lips and tilted her head. "I think you're wrong."

Summoning what little strength he had left, Speed squared his shoulders and walked past Mia into the gallery. The last time he'd been here, Ada had practically dragged him to the wall she was going to be using. She'd been so excited; she would have loved this.

He gasped when he saw what made up her exhibition: a series of charcoal sketches, portraits of himself asleep, laughing, lost in thought. All he could do was stare; he'd had no idea this was what she'd been working on.

"They're really good," Mia said from behind him. "That kind of talent is rare."

Speed nodded, not sure whether he was proud of her, or sad.

"She loved you very much. You can tell from the way she drew you."

For the first time in what felt like forever, Speed smiled.

* * *

At Calleigh's suggestion, Horatio invited Yelina and the kids for dinner. Ray, Jr., who had developed a minor crush on Calleigh, announced their arrival by excitedly banging on the front door. Horatio opened it to find his sister-in-law looking rather worse for the wear, and Madison staring solemnly at the ground.

Ray shook his uncle's hand and went inside to greet Calleigh. Horatio hugged Yelina and asked, "Where's John?"

"We've, uh, we're not seeing each other anymore." Yelina forced a smile. "There's just too much going on in my life right now."

"Are you okay?"

She nodded.

Horatio kneeled so he was eye-level with Madison. "Hi there, sweetheart."

Madison looked at him, but didn't reply.

"She isn't speaking to anyone," Yelina said. "I don't know what I'm supposed to do to help her."

Horatio didn't know either. He picked Madison up and followed Yelina inside.

There wasn't much improvement at the dinner table. Horatio studied Madison while the women spoke. The child toyed with the food on her plate, occasionally taking a bite and every now and then she would look at Ray, who did his best to draw her into conversation.

Then, suddenly, Madison began to cry. She dropped her fork on the table and hid her face in her hands, drawing in deep, shuddering breaths. Yelina immediately pulled her onto her lap.

"Shh, Maddie. It's okay."

"I want Mommy."

"I know, sweetheart. I know."

Madison looked at Calleigh, tears streaming down her cheeks. Then she wrapped her arms around Yelina's neck and hid her face in Yelina's shoulder. "She's got hair like Mommy's," she said between hiccups.

Calleigh self-consciously reached up and touched her hair. Horatio put his hand on Calleigh's leg and gave it a reassuring squeeze.

"It's okay, Cal," he said.

But everyone at the table knew it would be a long time for things to be okay again.


	6. six

The apartment was so quiet, Speed thought. He sat on the bed and smoothed his hand over Ada's pillow. She'd lived her whole life in silence; something he'd never fully appreciated until now. He wished that, just once, she'd been able to hear him tell her he loved her.

Blinking back tears, he lay down. The pillow still smelled of her. He closed his eyes and let himself pretend that she was lying there with him.

"I love you."

The sound of his own voice was foreign to his ears. The words he longed to hear in reply never came. He sat up and flung the pillow across the room. She wasn't coming back. She was never going to say those words again.

The pillow knocked Ada's sketchbook from the dresser. Speed crossed the room and picked it up. Feeling as though he was intruding on her privacy, he opened it. His friends' faces stared out at him.

He couldn't help smiling. Ada had sketched his friends instead of watching the basketball match. Speed sat on the edge of the bed and turned the page. Calleigh and Alexx had their heads together, laughing at something. Delko stood on the court, his hands on his hips. Speed stopped at a drawing of Madison, her knees drawn up against her chest, her thumb in her mouth. Ada had captured the emptiness in her eyes.

Yeah, kid, he thought, I know how you feel.

He remembered a conversation a few days before Ada's death. "Why do you draw people?" he'd asked.

She'd shrugged. _I don't know. It's just – Sometimes you can tell a person's whole life story just by looking at their face._

"And what does my face tell you?"

She hadn't answered right away. She'd first reached up to touch his face and traced his lips with her thumb. _That there's been pain. Your eyes say you're hiding a part of yourself, that you're scared of giving someone your whole heart._

Then she'd kissed him. _You're not going to lose me, you know._

Except, he thought bitterly, he had.

He closed the sketchbook.

* * *

Will carefully studied the image, committing each detail to memory. Gertrude was slumped over the throne, blonde hair spilling forward to hide her face. Will smiled; he didn't need to see Gertrude's face to know what she looked like. Her fingers still clutched a gold chalice.

Will looked away from the painting and frowned as he heard HER voice from another part of the room. He thought about the pains he'd taken to make everything perfect for her, but she had yet to notice.

He slowly turned to look at her and, as always, was unprepared for how beautiful she was. She caught his gaze and smiled, then immediately turned her attention back to Mia. Jealousy flared white hot through his veins, and it took every inch of his self-control not to march across the gallery and tell Mia that SHE belonged to him.

He forced himself to stay calm. Soon, she would know. And when that day came, she would appreciate him and his art.

He left the gallery. He had work to do; he needed to find Gertrude.

* * *

Speed entered the gallery, not quite sure how he'd ended up there. Mia saw him and immediately went to greet him.

"Hey, Tim. How're you doing?"

He shrugged.

A blonde woman joined them, her smile sympathetic. Speed couldn't remember where he'd seen her before.

"This is Vanessa," Mia said.

"I'm really sorry about Ada."

Speed nodded in an attempt to cut off further condolences.

"I wanted to talk to you at the funeral, but I didn't know what to say," Vanessa continued. There was an awkward silence after that.

"Vanessa's an artist too," Mia said with forced brightness. "She just came by to drop off her latest piece. Come, you can be the first to view it."

Speed started to protest, but changed his mind when Mia grabbed his arm. These women were Ada's friends. He knew if Ada was there, she'd want to see the painting.

Mia led him to the back room and gestured proudly to the artwork. Vanessa lingered in the doorway, nervously chewing her thumbnail.

"What do you think?" she asked. "It's Desdemona."

Speed took a closer look. The focal point of the painting was the woman's head, her face covered by a transparent scarf. It was beautifully done, but more than a little creepy. "She looks like you."

Vanessa smiled and shifted her weight from one foot to the other. "Yeah, I know. My friend's a psychologist – she says I have self-esteem issues. Something about killing myself over and over again."

Speed nodded. "Most people would just go to therapy."

"Yeah, well, this is cheaper."

They all laughed, and Speed felt guilt stab at him. How dare he be happy when Ada was dead? His smile faded. "I've got to get back to work."

* * *

When Raymond Caine, Jr. grew up, he wanted to be just like his Uncle Horatio. He loved his father, of course, but his death had left a gaping hole in Ray's life. His mother had done her best to fill that hole, but it wasn't enough.

It was a long time before Ray understood and accepted that his father wasn't going to come home, and even longer before he realized just how much his mother was hurting. He'd woken up one night and, on his way to the kitchen for a glass of water, overheard his mother talking on the phone. She was crying. Ray had decided then and there that he was going to do everything in his power to make his mother happy. If he couldn't take after his father, he would look to the next best thing: his uncle.

Now his mother was sad again, but Ray was old enough to recognize that this was a different kind of sadness. He guessed she was upset that she and John had broken up, but that wasn't it.

No, Ray thought, this time it was Maddie.

Ray went outside and found her sitting on the swing, staring up at the sky. Ray walked up behind her and gently started to push.

"You know," he said, "when I was kidnapped, I was too scared to sleep by myself. I kept thinking the bad guy was going to get me again."

Madison didn't respond. Ray bit his bottom lip, thinking hard.

"My dad's dead too."

Madison's head turned slightly, just enough to let Ray know she'd heard him. He smiled.

"Yeah. I miss him."

"I miss Mommy and Daddy." Madison's voice was soft.

"You want to know what Uncle Horatio told me about my dad?"

Madison nodded.

"He said that my dad was looking down from heaven, watching over me and protecting me. He said I didn't have to be sad 'cause he wasn't gone forever, and that when I get to heaven, my dad's gonna play ball with me and we're gonna get to do all the stuff we didn't get to do here."

"Really?"

"Yeah." Ray kept pushing the swing. "I bet your mom and dad are already planning all the cool stuff they're gonna do when you get to heaven."

"Do you think there'll be ponies in heaven? Mommy was s'posed to let my ride a pony on my birthday." Madison twisted around in the seat and Ray was afraid she'd fall off. He stopped the swing.

"Sure, there are ponies."

Madison rewarded him with a smile.

"If I tell you something, will you promise not to laugh?"

She nodded.

"I hope you get to stay with us. I think it'd be kinda cool to have a little sister."

"I always wanted a brother." Madison ducked her head, shy again. "Could you push me again, Ray?"

Ray started to push the swing.


	7. seven

Libby couldn't breathe. She blinked to clear her vision, but the world was still blurry. She moved her arm and something made a metallic noise. Libby slipped off the chair, landing on her side. Her chest burned with each small breath she took.

She remembered a man. Something about his car. A sweet smell.

Libby saw a door a few feet away. With supreme effort, she pulled herself towards it. Somehow, she knew that if she stayed where she was, she would die.

Black spots danced in front of her eyes. Libby had never felt this tired. She kept moving, inch by agonizing inch.

Her fingers eventually brushed tile and Libby realized she was at home. She saw the fuzzy image of her hall table and tried to move faster. It was so close!

Eventually, she touched the wood but couldn't find the strength to pull herself up. Frustrated, she felt tears on her cheeks. She had not made it this far to give up now. She reached up, feeling blindly for the telephone. Then she lifted the receiver and dialed what she hoped was 911. Only when she heard an operator's voice did she finally let herself pass out.

* * *

Calleigh and Speed had barely stepped out of the Hummer when Adele approached them. She smiled in greeting, then immediately got to the point. "I don't know if it's a crime scene yet, but it's a blonde girl, barefoot, wearing some kind of Elizabethan dress and I thought, what are the odds?"

Calleigh watched the paramedics wheel out a gurney. "She's still alive?"

Adele nodded. "Hanging on by a thread."

"What happened?" Speed asked.

"911 got a call about twenty minutes ago. When the paramedics got here they found the girl," Adele glanced at her notepad, "Libby Mason, passed out in the hall. She wasn't breathing."

"She looks a little young for a heart attack, don't you think?" Calleigh was still watching the paramedics.

"That's what I thought. There's also something really strange in her living room."

Calleigh and Speed followed Adele into the house. In the living room, they saw that one of the armchairs was positioned in the center of the carpet. On the floor next to it were a crown and a silver goblet. When Calleigh set her field kit down and started taking photographs, Adele left the CSI's to do their jobs.

"Weird," Speed said.

"What's that?"

He shook his head. "I've just had the oddest sense of déjà vu. Like I've been here before."

Calleigh pressed her lips together, keeping her opinion to herself. She was tempted to ask Speed how much sleep he was getting. Instead, she carried on taking photographs. It was only when she was finished that she realized Speed hadn't moved.

"Tim?"

"Cal, do me a favor, would you?" Not waiting for a response, he took Calleigh's hand and led her towards the couch. As he bent to pick up the goblet, Calleigh touched his arm.

"Gloves, Tim."

"Yeah. Sorry." He waited until they were both gloved before gesturing to the couch again. "Could you sit?"

Calleigh tilted her head as she considered his request. She wasn't sure where he was going with this, but she recognized the expression on his face, and sat down. She automatically stiffened when Speed pushed her back.

He laughed. "Relax, Cal."

"You know, if this is some twisted fantasy of yours, Horatio's gonna have your hide."

Speed laughed again. "Noted. Now grab this goblet." He arranged Calleigh's arm so that it hung over the arm of the chair, then brushed her hair forward to hide her face.

"Timothy Speedle—"

"I swear I'm not trying to make a pass at you. Just stay like that for a minute."

Calleigh saw the flash of the camera, then Speed said, "Okay. You can get up now."

"Are you going to explain what that was all about?"

"A hunch."

At that point Calleigh was willing to go along with whatever Speed suggested; it was good to see him smiling again.

* * *

Horatio studied the woman on the bed; early twenties, long blonde hair, tanned skin. He turned to the doctor. "Will she be okay?"

"She'll recover, if that's what you're asking." The doctor adjusted his glasses. "There's been some muscle damage to her heart and her lungs are pretty weak."

"Hmm." Horatio looked back at Libby. "What caused it?"

"I'm not entirely sure. Last week we had a kid come in with the same symptoms; he'd been handling a snake. I'd say that's what we're seeing here, but there's no snakebite."

Horatio nodded. There was nothing he could do here. He picked up the bag containing Libby's dress. "Will you call me when she wakes up?"

"Of course."

Speed attached three photographs to the display board. Calleigh and Delko exchanged a worried look, then turned their attention to their colleague. Speed's voice wavered as he pointed to the photograph of Ada.

"Ophelia." He pointed to the Jane Doe. "Juliet."

Delko raised an eyebrow at the photograph of Calleigh, but said nothing as Speed continued. "Gertrude."

"Okay," Calleigh said. "But I still don't understand."

"I was at the gallery yesterday and I met one of Ada's friends. Her paintings are all on display there. Ophelia, Juliet and Gertrude. Just like—" He faltered. "The crime scenes mirror the paintings."

Calleigh nodded. "Go tell Horatio."

"Tell me what?" Horatio entered the lab and stood next to Calleigh, his hand lightly brushing her back. Speed quickly explained his theory, then looked expectantly at his boss.

Horatio handed Delko the brown paper bag he'd brought with him. "Eric, run trace on Libby's dress. Cal, go talk to Vanessa Craig. Speed—"

"I'd like to talk to her," Speed said.

Horatio looked at the younger man for a moment then nodded. "Okay. Go with Calleigh. Just – I know how badly you want to catch this guy. But take it easy. You're too close."

* * *

Paintbrush in hand, Vanessa stared at the blank canvas. She closed her eyes. In her head, an asp slithered away from Cleopatra. She opened her eyes and touched the brush to the canvas. Long, blonde hair spilled across the queen's pillows. Her arm was outstretched . . .

Vanessa saw Ada, hunched over a sketchbook, her fingers blackened with charcoal, her hair pulled into a messy bun, a streak of charcoal on her cheek.

The paintbrush fell to the floor. Vanessa wiped away her tears, smudging paint on her own cheeks and not caring. Ada was dead. Her friend was dead. Real life wasn't a painting.

Maybe Laurie was right, Vanessa thought. Maybe there was something wrong with her. There had to be. Why else would she paint death scenes all the time, as if they didn't matter? She remembered the conversation with Laurie as vividly as if it had just happened. She'd laughed off Laurie's comment, saying, "I'm a still life artist."

Of course, now that death had touched her, it wasn't quite as funny as it had been then.

There was a knock at the door. Grateful for a reprieve from her thoughts, she picked up the paintbrush, stuck in a pocket of her smock, and went to see who was there.

"Hi, I'm Calleigh Caine, with CSI. You know Tim Speedle?"

Vanessa nodded, wondering why they were here. "Umm, please have a seat. I'm sorry about the mess. I get a bit sidetracked when I paint."

"Can we see?" Speed asked.

Vanessa bit her lip. She didn't like to show anything until it was complete, but she wasn't sure she could refuse Tim Speedle anything. He had loved her friend, and he would always have that in his favor. "Sure."

She led them to the spare room she used as a studio. "She's Cleopatra. She's nowhere near finished."

"Do you always talk about your art as if they're people?" Calleigh asked.

Vanessa shrugged. "Aren't they?"

Calleigh's smile was brief, and Vanessa guessed they weren't here on a social call.

"Miss Craig—"

"Vanessa, please."

"Vanessa, I don't quite know how to say this, but we think someone is copying your paintings."

"Copying?"

Speed took three photographs from a manila envelope and passed them to Vanessa. Her hand trembled as she took them from him.

"Oh." She felt lightheaded. Ignoring the CSI's, she went to the living room and sat down. Eventually, she looked up at Calleigh. "The last photo is you, isn't it?"

"Yes."

"So the woman didn't die?"

"No. She'll be okay."

Vanessa handed the photographs back to Speed, then hugged herself. "Who would do something like this?"

Calleigh sat next to her and said, gently, "We were hoping you would be able to help us with that."

Vanessa shook her head. "I can't – I mean, I don't know anyone who would – This is crazy – I don't know."

"Vanessa, it's possible that you're in danger."

Vanessa ran to the bathroom.

* * *

Will watched the man and the woman leave Vanessa's building. He couldn't believe his luck. The woman was perfect!

His eyes narrowed as he realized he knew the man from somewhere. Then he smiled; the gallery. The man had been at the gallery, talking to his Vanessa. And now he was here, with Desdemona. Perfect, just perfect.

He watched them climb into the Hummer, noting with pleasure that the door identified it as belonging to 'Miami-Dade Crime Scene Investigation'. Now that he knew where to find Desdemona, there was no rush.

Instead of going up to see Vanessa, he turned his car around and headed home. He had plans to make.


	8. eight

Horatio waited until everyone was seated before he began to speak. "Good morning, everyone. I had a conversation with Mike Curtis yesterday – Mike's head of the BSU at Quantico. I asked him to draw up a profile of our killer."

Horatio passed out copies for everyone. "I've read this carefully, and I agree with Mike. We're looking for a serial killer with an extremely short cooling off period. Our guy's not sloppy, despite the speed at which he's killing, and that makes him more dangerous."

He paused to let that sink in. "Here's our pattern: blonde women with no connection to each other – aside from Ada Rose and Vanessa Craig – are being killed to mimic Miss Craig's paintings."

Horatio glanced at Speed, glad to see he was holding it together. He had no qualms about assigning Speed to another case, but he was hoping it wouldn't come to that.

"Given the connection between Ada and Vanessa," Calleigh said, "could it be possible that the killer is in the art world?"

"It's likely. Most serial killers first kill someone familiar to them."

Speed's jaw tightened. "So it's possible that I met this guy at some point?"

No one said anything. Speed shook his head and threw his pen to the table.

Horatio made a quick decision. "Speed, you feeling up to guard duty?"

"What?"

"Vanessa Craig is a target. He's copying her paintings so it's fairly safe to say he's focused on her. Didn't you say she paints herself?"

"I'm not a babysitter."

"I know. That's not what this is. Calleigh said Vanessa was spooked yesterday. For her peace of mind, having you there might help make her feel safe."

Speed nodded. "Okay."

"Good. Libby Mason's doing well, by the way. It appears that she was injected with snake venom. The hospital's sending us a blood sample. Eric, I want you on that as soon as it arrives. Cal, you and I are off to the galley."

"Oh, sure," Delko said, "give all the fun assignments to your wife."

Calleigh smiled. "Just one of the perks of being married to the boss."

* * *

Mia was engaged in a conversation about Impressionist art with two college students when Horatio and Calleigh arrived at the gallery. She waved at them, then turned back to the students. 

"Look." Calleigh pointed to a poster advertising Vanessa Craig's 'Tragic Heroines' series. Horatio nodded.

"You think she's a little obsessed with death?"

Horatio shrugged. "Either that, or she's nuts about Shakespeare."

Having managed to get away from the students, Mia approached them. "Hi, can I help you?"

Horatio showed her his badge. "Horatio Caine. I'm with the crime lab. This is my wife, Calleigh."

Mia's smile faded. "Oh. You're here about Ada."

"Actually, we'd like to talk about Vanessa Craig."

"What? Has something happened to her too?" Mia's eyes widened and she turned pale.

"No, no, she's fine. It's her art I'm interested in."

"I'm sorry, I don't understand."

Calleigh's pager went off. She read the message, then touched Horatio's arm. "Eric's identified the venom. I'm going to head back to the lab and see if I can help him track it down."

Horatio reached into his pocket for the Hummer's keys.

"It's five blocks, Horatio. The walk's not going to kill me." She squeezed his arm, smiled, then left.

Horatio looked at Mia. "I'm sorry about that. Now, about Vanessa Craig . . ."

* * *

Madison smiled shyly at the social worker and clung tighter to Yelina's hand. "Madison, you remember Bella, don't you?" 

Madison nodded. When Yelina sat down, Madison climbed onto her lap.

Bella laughed. "Well, I was going to ask how you two were getting along, but I think it's obvious."

She walked around her desk and came to sit in the chair opposite Yelina. "Madison, I need to ask you a couple of questions. Is that okay?"

Madison nodded again.

"Okay. Good. But I need to ask you alone. Do you think it would be okay if Yelina waited for you outside?"

Madison turned wide eyes to Yelina. "Will you come back?"

"Of course."

"Promise."

"I promise. I'll be right outside the door."

Madison bit her bottom lip. "Okay."

Yelina stood, then set Madison down in the chair. Madison watched her leave then slowly turned to face Bella.

"Madison, honey, how're you doing?"

"I miss my Mommy."

"Yeah. Yelina's nice though, huh?"

"Uh huh. But she makes me eat vegetables." Madison wrinkled her nose.

"You don't like vegetables?" Bella hid her smile; Madison sounded like every other kid her age.

She shook her head. "I have to eat them, else I don't get pudding."

"So you like living with Yelina?"

Another nod.

"And what about her son, Ray?"

Madison's face lit up in a smile. "He pushes me on the swing. And the one time he ate my vegetables when Yelina wasn't looking." Madison leaned forward and lowered her voice, as if she was sharing a secret. "You know, his daddy's also dead."

"Yeah . . . Madison, we've been trying to track down some of your family members. An uncle or an aunt—"

"I want to stay with Yelina and Ray. I promise I'll be good. I'll even eat my vegetables, all the time."

Bella smiled at Madison's expression. "I was going to say we couldn't find anybody."

Madison blinked. "So I can stay?"

"If you really want to, yeah."

"Really?"

"Really."

Madison grinned.

* * *

Vanessa studied her unfinished painting of Cleopatra. Since the CSI's visit the previous day, she hadn't been able to paint. This was all her fault. Someone had taken her work and twisted it. And she'd lost a friend in the process. 

Without thinking about it, Vanessa picked up a pair of scissors and began slashing the canvas. "I'm sorry. I'm sorry. Sorry."

When she realized what she was doing, she dropped the scissors and fled the studio.

* * *

A coral snake, Calleigh thought as she walked back to CSI. Only one of Florida's most common snakes. No problem. She remembered bringing a corn snake home as a little girl, calmly telling her parents that she wanted a pet. Her mother had fainted, Tommy had told her she was the coolest sister ever, and her father had sat her down to explain about venomous and non-venomous snakes. Even all these years later, she could recall learning the rhyme: _red on yellow, kill a fellow, red on black, good for Jack_. 

She wondered how Speed was doing with Vanessa. Calleigh hoped, for everyone's sakes, that they solved this case soon.

When she arrived at CSI, she collected her messages from Claudia at reception, then headed to the parking garage instead of going to the lab. She'd left her cell phone in her car that morning, and she wanted it with her in case Horatio called.

"Excuse me, ma'am, could you help me?" A well-dressed man stepped towards her, his hands held out, his expression sheepish. "I don't suppose you've got jumper cables, do you?"

"Sure." Calleigh smiled and turned to unlock her car. Suddenly she was grabbed from behind. Before she could scream, her attacker covered her mouth with a cloth. She recognized the scent immediately. Knowing she had only a few seconds, she stopped fighting her attacker and unclipped her badge. She heard it hit the ground as she succumbed to the chloroform.

_A/N: All my snake info comes from www(dot)floridaconservation(dot)org/viewing/species/snakesv.html and coloherp(dot)org/cb-news/Vol-28/cbn-0103/venom.html _


	9. nine

Calleigh slowly sat up, holding a hand to her head as if that could ease the pounding. It took a few seconds for her to realize she wasn't in her bed at home, but in a strange room. Not again, she thought. She swallowed down the sudden wave of nausea and tried to stand. Her legs were shaky and her throat was dry.

"I hate chloroform," she muttered under her breath. Once she was on her feet, she looked around, studying her surroundings. It looked like a hotel room, a lavish four poster bed, thick carpeting. Calleigh wasn't about to stick around to see why she'd been brought here, and stepped towards the door, the thin fabric of her dress tickling her legs.

She froze, then looked at her reflection in the mirror. While unconscious, someone had dressed her in an Elizabethan-style dress.

Calleigh refused to panic. She reached for the door handle just as the door opened. Her kidnapper seemed surprised that she was awake.

He smiled. "Desdemona."

No, Calleigh thought. She tackled him. Unfortunately, he was stronger than he looked and Calleigh was still weak from the chloroform. He pinned her to the ground, then pulled something from his jacket pocket.

"This isn't how it's supposed to be." He sounded angry. "But if you won't co-operate . . ."

Calleigh tried to throw him off. She felt a sting in her shoulder and her arm began to burn. "What – What did you do?"

"It'll all be okay now." He stood and picked Calleigh up. She tried to protest but her tongue felt thick in her mouth.

"No . . ."

"Shh, Desdemona." He lay her on the bed. Calleigh felt tears on her cheeks and wondered why it was suddenly such an effort to move.

And she was seven years old again, sitting on her father's lap, chanting: _Red on yellow, kill a fellow_ . . .

* * *

Horatio clutched Calleigh's badge so tightly in his palm that the edges dug into his flesh. He didn't notice.

"There's no way you could have known," Alexx said.

Horatio didn't look away from the security footage. "She fit the profile. I should have thought of that."

"Tim's on his way with Vanessa. Eric's gone to the hospital – Libby Mason's awake."

On the TV screen, a man followed Calleigh to her car. A few moments later, he carried her back to his car. Horatio stopped the tape, rewound it, watched it again.

There was a gasp from behind him. He turned to see a very pale Vanessa Craig.

"Do you recognize him?"

She nodded. "It's Will Evans. He, uh, he's writing his thesis on Shakespeare. He interviewed me about my series. He did this?"

"It looks like it."

Vanessa grabbed hold of Speed's arm to steady herself. "He – I spoke to him. He was in my house."

"Vanessa," Horatio said gently, but firmly, "he has my wife. I need you to tell us everything you know about him."

Vanessa was in shock. Her eyes locked on the image of Will carrying Calleigh, she didn't hear Horatio's words. "This is all my fault. He asked me out and I said no. I – I have a girlfriend. He seemed like such a nice guy, though . . ."

Alexx steered Vanessa to a chair. Horatio turned to Speed. "Run a check. If he's got a credit card, see where he's used it. I'm going to pull up his address—"

"He's, umm, he's staying at the University." Vanessa's face crumpled. "I'm sorry, Lieutenant."

"Okay," Horatio said. "Let's get moving. We don't have much time."

* * *

Will glared at the still figure on the bed. She'd messed up everything, he thought irritably. Desdemona was supposed to be smothered, not poisoned. He probably shouldn't have picked the cop, but she'd come out of Vanessa's apartment block with the guy from the gallery and Will had just known it had to be her.

Until now, everything had been perfect. Ophelia, Juliet and Gertrude. He wondered how long it had taken Gertrude to die. He hadn't stuck around to see it happen – he'd been too hyped up and had gone to talk to Vanessa about her current project. Now that he thought about it, he realized he hadn't read anything in the papers about Gertrude.

Shrugging, he dismissed the flicker of concern. Maybe they just hadn't found her yet.

He picked up the silk scarf and crossed over to the bed. He noticed that she wore a wedding ring, and smiled, wondering if her husband was anything like Othello.

"If he was," Will said, gently stroking her hair, "then you're better off this way."

Her eyelids fluttered. To his surprise, she was still alive. He pressed his finger to her jugular; her pulse was faint but steady. Will sighed and covered her head with the scarf.

The door burst open and two figures in black entered, their rifles aimed at him. Following them was an angry-looking red-haired man, and the man from the gallery.

The redhead looked at Desdemona, his jaw clenching. Will stood as the men approached the bed, attempting to keep them from reaching her.

"No. You'll ruin it."

The redhead ignored him, picked up the woman's wrist and closed his eyes. "She's alive."

One of the SWAT team members roughly grabbed Will and shoved him against the wall. "You're damn lucky we got here when we did."

Will barely protested as he was handcuffed and led outside to the waiting police car. They'd ruined his work. What would Vanessa say? All of this had been for her.

* * *

Calleigh winced at the brightness of the hospital room. Horatio heard her groan and was at her side in an instant.

"Hey."

She managed a weak smile in an attempt to reassure him. He looked so worried. "What took you so long?"

He kissed her forehead, then her cheeks, then ran his hands over her hair as if to reassure himself that she was all right. "You have got to stop getting abducted by maniacs."

"I knew you'd find me."

"A miracle, considering I was barely thinking straight. We ran his credit card, saw he'd booked a suite at the _San Lamer_." Horatio took her hand and held it to his heart. "If we'd got there any later . . ."

"How bad is it?"

"The dose was lower than what he gave Libby Mason – she's doing fine, by the way – but there's the possibility that your heart and lungs have sustained some damage."

Calleigh's eyes filled with tears and she looked away.

"Cal, we'll get through this. I promise."

He sounded so sure that Calleigh couldn't help but believe him.

"Oh," he continued, "Eric finally tracked down that dagger. It was stolen from an antique weapons collector a couple of weeks ago. He never reported it because he'd acquired it on the black market."

"And the snake?" Calleigh bit her lip.

"In a terrarium at Evans' place. He milked it himself." He touched her cheek. "It's over now, Cal."

"Umm, excuse me, Lieutenant Caine?" Vanessa Craig stood hesitantly in the doorway, clutching a bunch of yellow roses. "Oh, Detective, you're awake. Hi. I just – I want to, umm—"

Horatio stood, offering his seat to Vanessa. She shook her head and stood at the foot of the bed instead.

"I wanted to apologize to you. Both of you. This is all my fault. I'm really sorry—"

"Vanessa," Horatio cut her off, "Vanessa, listen to me. You are not to blame. Will Evans is a sick young man. You are as much a victim of this as any of the others."

Vanessa shook her head. "If I hadn't painted those women then no one would have been hurt."

"That's not true," Calleigh said. "He would have found another reason to kill."

Vanessa lay the flowers on the bed. "Yeah, well, I'm glad you're okay."

When she left, Horatio put the flowers in an extra jug of water, then set the makeshift vase next to a bouquet of tulips. Calleigh grinned when she saw the flowers.

"Did you get me those?"

"Those are from your father."

As if on cue, Kenwall Duquesne knocked on the door to announce his presence and said, "Hello, Lambchop."

"I'm fine," Calleigh said.

Kenwall looked at Horatio, who nodded and said, "I turn my back on her for one second, and she gets into trouble."

"Hey!"

Kenwall crossed the room and kissed Calleigh's forehead. "You've got to stop scaring us like this, Cal."

"Dad, I—"

"I know. I just had to see for myself that you were okay."

Calleigh squeezed his hand. "I'm glad you came, Dad."


	10. ten

Early Saturday evening, _Mia's_ was closed to the general public. A select few had been invited to the opening of the latest show – Ada Rose's sketches. The mood was somber; everyone there was all too aware that Ada's life had been too brief.

Speed was the first to arrive and the last to leave. He greeted Mia, then leaned against a pillar and studied the sketches, oblivious to any of the other guests. His attention was fixed on Ada's series of portraits. She'd caught the personalities and moods of her subjects, and Speed remembered how amazed he'd been at how effortless she'd made it seem. His favorite was the self-portrait she'd included in jest. He wondered if Mia would let him buy it.

"Hey." Vanessa offered him a drink and gave a small smile. "I guess you don't feel like socializing much either."

He shook his head.

They sipped their drinks awkwardly, then Vanessa met his gaze. "I'm sorry."

"You didn't do anything wrong."

"Then why does it feel like I did?"

"Because your friend died, and some wacko tried to make it all about you."

Vanessa sniffed and wiped her tears with the back of her hand. "Well, thanks for putting it all into perspective."

Speed nodded to the empty wall where Vanessa's paintings had once hung. "You shouldn't take them down. Ada wouldn't have blamed you."

"Do you?"

He sighed. "I don't know. I've seen a lot of shit in my work, but it's never been this personal before."

Vanessa followed his gaze to the wall. "It's too late anyway. I destroyed them."

Speed looked at her in surprise.

"Laurie and I are going get away for a while. Her brother's got a house in the Keys. You're welcome to join us, if you ever need to get away for a while." She smiled. "Take care, Tim."

He watched her walk over to a tall woman with close-cropped black hair who he assumed was Vanessa's Laurie. When the woman wrapped her arm around Vanessa's waist and kissed her, his suspicions were confirmed.

He exhaled softly then turned his attention back to the sketches.

* * *

Family dinners were becoming something of a routine for the Caines. Since Calleigh had only just been released from the hospital, Yelina had offered to host it. When Horatio and Calleigh arrived, they were surprised to see a completely different Madison. The child ran to greet her uncle and aunt, excitedly announcing, "We got a puppy!"

Ray held a squirming bundle of fur in his arms, laughing as the baby Golden Retriever tried to lick his face.

"A puppy," Horatio said to Yelina.

She shrugged. "Bella suggested a pet might help with the transition."

Calleigh and Horatio exchanged glances. "Transition?"

Yelina smiled. Before she could speak, Ray burst out with, "Maddie's going to live with us!"

Madison nodded. "We get to be a real family."

Horatio sank to his haunches and looked Madison in the eye. "You're a lucky girl, you know that? Now you've got two mommies to love you instead of just one."

"And a puppy," Madison said seriously.

Horatio chuckled. "Yes, and a puppy."

"Calleigh, come play with the puppy," Ray said, taking her hand.

"Go on easy on Calleigh. She just got out of the hospital."

Ray rolled his eyes. "Yes, Mom."

As Calleigh followed the children to the living room, Madison could be heard asking, "Calleigh, were you sick?"

Horatio smiled at his sister-in-law, then hugged her. "You're a good woman, you know that?"

"Maddie didn't do anything wrong."

"Yes. But most women wouldn't be able to look past that. I'm proud of you."

Yelina pulled free from the embrace, dabbing her eyes. "You're not supposed to make me cry."

Horatio offered her his handkerchief.

She wiped her eyes then hooked her arm through Horatio's. "Come, let's go make sure they're not abusing your poor wife."

* * *

Delko was surprised to find Genevieve sitting on the edge of the bed when he got home. She had a pillow on her lap and was twisting the seam, appearing almost nervous. Delko, suspecting that she wanted to break up with him, raised his chin and leaned against the doorjamb.

"Hi."

She looked up, her eyes red-rimmed. Delko crossed the room and sat next to her, taking hold of her hands.

"Gen? Babe, what's wrong?"

"I've been such a bitch to you lately, even with everything that's been happening with Tim and Ada. I suck at this whole relationship thing."

"Gen—"

"I love you, you know. I don't think I've ever said it out loud. But I do."

"And I love you."

She burst into tears. "I know, which is why it makes it worse than I've been so offish to you."

"What's wrong, babe? Talk to me."

"I quit the dance piece."

Delko couldn't hide his surprise. "But you love to dance. I thought you were going on tour."

Genevieve shook her head. "I decided not to, a couple of days ago. I thought I was coming down with flu or something. Turns out – Turns out I'm pregnant. Congratulations, you're going to be a dad."

She dropped the pillow and fled to the bathroom. Delko followed, not in time to keep her from bolting the door.

"Gen, let me in, please."

"I'm sorry. I know this isn't what you wanted but I've thought real hard about it and – I can be gone by the end of the week. Tanya could always use a roommate and I won't ask you for any money—"

"Genevieve—"

"Just please don't be mad at me. I swear I didn't plan this—"

"Marry me!" Delko froze, but his words had the desired effect. Genevieve was silent.

Then, softly, "What?"

"I want to marry you."

"Because of the baby?"

"No. Well, yes. But also because I love you." He held his breath. The door clicked as she unlocked it then opened it.

"So you're not mad?"

He reached for her, pulling her close as his hands stole to her stomach. "Mad? How could I be mad? We're going to have a baby."

"Yeah." She smiled. "Genevieve Delko. I could get used to that."

Delko scooped her up into his arms and carried her back to the bed. "Good. Now, I think a celebration is in order."

* * *

The phone was ringing when Horatio and Calleigh arrived home. Horatio answered it then, with a smile, handed it to Calleigh.

"Hello?"

"Calleigh Marie Caine! What is going on up there?"

Calleigh winced at her mother's tone. "Hey, Mom."

"I had to hear from your father than you'd been attacked again. This is the third time! You're not a damn cat, Calleigh. You don't get nine lives."

"Mom, it was nothing, really." Calleigh crossed her fingers and, glancing at Horatio, shrugged helplessly. "I'm fine."

"Nothing! Being kidnapped by a madman – again! – is hardly nothing."

"Mom, calm down. You're overreacting."

"Was it Dos Santos again?"

Ah, Calleigh thought. So that was what was really bothering Marjorie. "No, it wasn't."

"Well—"

Before Marjorie could start her rant again, Calleigh cut in with, "So you said Dad told you? I didn't realize you were on such good terms again."

Marjorie was silent for a moment. "You know, I've realized how late it is. I should let you get to bed. Good night, Calleigh."

"Night, Mom." She hung up, then turned to Horatio and smiled. "Come on, handsome. Time for bed."

"I notice you didn't say time for sleep."

She laughed.

* * *

Speed laid the red roses at the base of Ada's tombstone. Then he shoved his hands in his pockets and gave a deep sigh.

"Well, it's over. We got him. I'm sorry we couldn't get him sooner. Sorry I couldn't keep you safe."

He looked down at the ground. "I love you so much. It hurts so much, you not being here."

He closed his eyes and could clearly see her, perched on the kitchen counter, sipping her tea. _You know what I love about you?_ she said, then laughed. _Well, one of the many things I love about you._

He smiled. "Aside from my charm and rugged good looks?"

Another laugh. _Aside from that. You've always treated me like a normal person._

"You are a normal person."

_You know what I mean. As a hearing person._

"Well, you know what I love about you?"

_What?_

"You picked me."

Speed opened his eyes. The loss was still fresh and raw, but there was the faint sense of peace. It really was over.

But he couldn't bring himself to leave just yet. A few more minutes. The real world could wait a bit longer for him to say goodbye.

The end.

_A/N: There may or may not be more of this series. It all depends on what happens in RL in these next few months. Thanks for reading!_


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